Monday, July 28, 2014

A Look Back at 2013 - SEPTEMBER (Part 2)

Riverloop Amphitheater

Cedar River

When we were leaving the Amphitheater, we saw this OLLIE HEART on the cement wall.


 HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Transitioning into middleagedom...
(Anyone remember the SNL skit... "Middle Aged Man"?) 

 I think I'm 7 months pregnant here.

 Birthday dinner at Galleria de Paco.  (Click on the purple link to learn more about the restaurant.)
It was my first time going there and I heard it was really amazing inside.  The ceiling and walls were all done with aerosol paint, by an artist from Bosnia that is our age.  Just unbelievable!  The food was REALLY good, but I make a better lava cake!  Sadly, it was just solid and it didn't ooze out, but it was flaming so that was pretty cool.  I loved it there and the manager was really nice, too!  I saw an OLLIE HEART in my salad in the form of a craisin.  Wishing me a Happy Birthday... my sweet boy!


After we ate at the Galleria de Paco, we went out to the cemetery to visit Oliver.  The sunset was absolutely gorgeous out there!  The clouds started out orange and turned pink and purple.  Just beautiful.

When Ed and I got home from the cemetery, one of the boys spilled a glass of water and when I went to clean it up, I saw another OLLIE HEART!  Two in one day for the mom on her birthday.  My heart was full...



STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Eden was the student of the month for Mrs. Klein's 5th grade class so we brought her some Wendy's for lunch.  I love my kids and I'm so proud of them!



 My mom and I saw this AMAZING rainbow as we were leaving her school and were getting into the car to go out to dinner together.  It was the most vibrant one I've ever seen.  I could see every single color!  Made me think of Oliver and Sadie Huish, another sweet DIPG angel who loved rainbows.





GROUT MUSEUM / FIVE SULLIVAN BROTHERS MUSEUM
Playing in the 'dirt' at the farming area.  We saw the planetarium show and learned about some constellations and he even got to hold a real moon rock that he looked thrilled about!  Jaren in 'American Gothic', in front of the Sullivan Brothers statue outside. 
(Click on the purple link to learn more about the five Sullivan brothers.)

My sweet little astronaut, Jaren, age 6.


A Look Back at 2013 - SEPTEMBER (Part 1)

Our nephew, Carson, turned 4 at the beginning of the month and so we celebrated with him at Grandma and Grandpa Palmer's house.  We had dinner and then opened presents and of course had LOTS of snuggle time with baby Sophia.  Eden was so excited to hold her!  She looked so stinking tiny in Grandpa's arms!



 MOM SCHOOL
Six moms in our ward at church got together to teach preschool to our 3/4 year old kids.  I only did it for a while with Finn because of some other things that were going on.  Pregnancy, migraines, home school... to name a few.  This was the first day of Mom School minus cousin Carson.  Drew, Finn, Jamison, Teo, Eliza.  Such cute kiddos!


EDISON PLAYGROUND
This wooden play structure was the kids' (Oliver and Eden's) former elementary school playground at Edison Elementary.  They just LOVE it!  I remember getting some similar photos of Eden and Oliver when they were younger.  




ARBORETUM FIELD TRIP
The kids at Mom School had their first field trip and they went out to the arboretum.  They went on the 'Sherlock Gnomes' scavenger hunt to find the porcelain gnomes hidden throughout the flower gardens.




MY CHILDHOOD PARK
We went to the playground that I played at almost every day after school when I was a kid.  I used to LOVE climbing the big rock! 




I LIVE IN AN EPISODE OF 'COPS'...
 Really early in the morning... probably around 1 or 2... we heard a banging on our door.  I didn't know if someone was trying to break in or what, so I didn't answer it.  I looked out the window and saw someone walk by with a flashlight and really got freaked out.  I woke up Ed and then I heard the pounding again.  He answered the door and it was a cop telling us a drunk driver took out our entire back fence through the alley.  I guess it was a high speed car chase that tore through our alley at about 40 or 50 miles an hour!  He took out a few people's fences and destroyed a poor old man's garage.  The chase ended after he drove through the local cemetery.  He actually came by the next day with his mom and sister and apologized and fixed the fence himself.  The pictures show the aftermath.  I had started a memorial garden for Oliver, but being pregnant, hadn't gotten too far on it so not much was destroyed there.  So glad the kids weren't outside playing.  They could have been killed.  One reason I personally don't drink...




Some randoms from this month.  Finn was excited to get this McD's play station.  I love Finn's pose on Grandma Palaver's chairs.  Jaren and Finn sitting in the yard and playing at Barnes & Noble.  You know you are a parent of boys when you find an action figure in the cereal bin!  Finn sleeping under his bed.  I almost didn't see him there!  Finn and Jaren loved meeting my uncle's dogs when he came to visit.  Playing with Papa.


 OLIVER'S MEMORIAL TREE
The memorial marker by the tree they planted at Becker Elementary in Oliver's memory.  I know he'd love the grasshopper just hanging out on it!


NATIONAL CATTLE CONGRESS FAIR
 



 The cow's name was "Finn" and there was another one named "Palmer"!  Finn petting... Finn.

 I LOVE Finn's sweet smile in this picture!  He loves going on the kiddie roller coaster!

After the magic show they were selling these funny worms for like $5 each.  I couldn't spend that much for each of the kids, but a sweet couple bought two of them for the boys and gave them to them.  It was so sweet!  I bought one for Eden so she wouldn't feel left out.  I told Ed that I want to do stuff like that when our kiddos are all grown up.

 NEIGHBORHOOD NATURE WALK


Funny Finny


 PHELPS YOUTH PAVILION



ISLAND PARK PICNIC
We went to the park to grill some hot dogs and marshmallows with my mom, brother, his girlfriend and her daughter, Chloe.  The kids just LOVE playing with Chloe!  We had so much fun going on a nature scavenger hunt, doing leaf rubbings, playing on frisbee and climbing on the playground equipment.  It was a really fun outing!


 HOME SCHOOL with JAREN
Eden had to okay to stay at the school she had been attending when Oliver was sick.  I didn't want her to have to move, make new friends, see a new counselor and everything else when Oliver was sick.  Unfortunately, Jaren wasn't able to go to Kindergarten at the same school, so we had two kids getting out of two different schools at the same exact time every day.  Eden couldn't be bussed, but had bullying issues regardless, and Jaren was just starting kindergarten and I was nervous about him going alone.  So... I decided to take the plunge and home school him.  We did lots of fun activities and went lots of places.  He LOVED doing science experiments!  Unfortunately, it only lasted one semester as I was having multiple migraines a week and other pregnancy issues and then had the baby and had post pardum depression and couldn't get out of bed to save my life.  So... we put him back in and was fine.  I was worried, but he did great.  I worry because of all of his medical/health issues, and I will ALWAYS worry because no one takes care of your kids better than their parents do.  Well... for the most part.